The Santa Clara team are designing a 980-square-foot Radiant House for their entry into the Solar Decathlon 2013 competition. The team’s goal is to expand the accessibility of solar energy and prove that sustainable living is something that can easily be achieved in this day and age. Another important innovation of the Radiant House project is the use of bamboo to build a large portion of the structural elements of the house. Bamboo is used in Radiant House’s walls, floor and ceiling and the Santa Clara team spent the last 10 years designing and engineering bamboo into structural elements.

Michelle de la Vega’s 250 square foot home has become a pretty popular sight for green design enthusiasts and architects. What used to be a standard outdoor garage has been renovated into a tiny home that accommodates three people and contains a variety of eco-friendly features.